Disney: A hunt for hidden highlights

Among the 600 illustrations and artworks on display at Tākina, plenty of hidden gems and special details are waiting to be discovered. Here are a few for you to look out for.

Find hidden Mickey(s) 

In the exhibition’s first room, there are three zoetropes. These are hand-cranked ‘barrels’ with a series of individual drawings printed on the inside. As it spins, look through narrow slits on the outside to see the animations come to life. Step back (and onto your tip toes) after you’ve tried looking through them. There’s one big zoetrope and two smaller ones that form the outline of a famous mouse. Speaking of mouse shapes, there is a series of small mouse-shaped exhibition description cards spread around the walls. These are at child (and mouse) height and have fun things for the younger members of the family to talk about as they make their way from room to room.

Spot a private screening 

Also at child height is a special hidey hole with a secret. Look for some soft couches near the ʻAlice in Wonderland’ section. Nearby on a wall, there is a peephole. Take a look through to see a tiny screen playing ’101 Dalmatians’. Cruella de Vil is probably less scary when she’s so small. Around the corner, make sure you check out the zigzag Dalmatian artwork from multiple angles to reveal all its secrets. Another secret of the spotty story is that it was the first Disney animated feature set in the time it was released. All previous movies had been set in earlier times like ‘Pinocchio’ in the 19th century or fictional times like ‘Fantasia’ or ‘Peter Pan’. ‘101 Dalmatians’ was released in 1961.

Find a furry friend 

From dogs to animals of a different kind. In the ‘Bambi’ exhibit see if you can find out what animal was brought into the studios in the 1940s. The animation team studied and observed its movements so they could be accurately represented on-screen. When you stop off for a dance in the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ ballroom have a look at the first design ideas for the Beast. One of the early drawings drew inspiration from a jungle-dwelling animal with long arms.  

Colours of the wind 

There are also hidden gems at the concept stage of movie making. The ‘Pocahontas’ exhibit showcases the film’s colour keys — a crucial part of Disney world creation. Thumbnail paintings were created so art directors could visualise colour palettes across multiple scenes. Colour is used to subtly support and intensify story arcs and character development.
 
The exhibition also showcases a rare example of a pencil test (a series of pencil-drawn images). In this case, it depicts Maleficent changing into a dragon. These are rarely preserved, and are now largely created digitally. Look at all the work that goes into each individual drawing as they show the slow transformation from witch to beast.